Tides of Light
by Katerina Kintari
Summary: They'd survived the mission. Shepard celebrates in her own way. FemShep Thane, post mission, some spoilers for ME2. Rated M for fun stuff in Chapter 2.
1. Celebration

Shepard staggered through the airlock, relief rushing through her. They had won and they were _alive_. They had blown up the Collector base, and returned, all hearts and minds intact. She was fiercely glad that every one of her crew had been returned to her.

Her first stop was the med bay. She had sent Mordin back with the crew and he had already begun necessary treatments. Most of them had been cleared of physical problems, and were gathered in the mess hall for celebration.

She made sure the rest of her squad was checked out and treated for any injuries. Mordin insisted on some medi-gel for her as well, no matter how often she insisted she was fine. Tomorrow, she knew, she would be tired, sore, and a little sick. Tonight, however, she felt no pain, only the euphoria of battle and victory. She was still tense and excited, her nerves still on fire.

She tried to suppress a twitch of impatience, but Mordin noticed anyway. His large eyes blinked rapidly at her for a moment before understanding dawned.

"Ah. Post-combat reaction common in many species. Peak experiences. Understandable. Try not to over-exert." With that, he turned and left the med bay, headed back to his lab.

Shepard...twitched again. She was torn between blushing furiously and laughing off the doctor's words. She settled for shaking her head and striding out of the bay.

She was aware that her most urgent need right now was not for medical attentions, or the group celebration going on in the Mess Hall, but she knew she could not absent herself so quickly. Mordin had made her remove her armor, so she snagged one of the extra uniforms she kept in the bay, and headed for the restroom for a quick scrub and change.

Shepard moved through the crew deck, making sure to speak to each person, hearing their experiences, and sharing her own. She toasted their victory with Chakwas, bantered with Ken and Gabby, slapped Garrus on the back, exchanged hugs with Tali. She responded to each person carefully, judging her actions on their emotional state, giving them what they needed.

As she moved through the crowd, she was aware that she was being watched. No matter where she stood, or who she spoke to, if she looked up, she would see his eyes tracking her. Her gestures became more deliberate, her voice deepened. She saw his face darken in reaction.

Finally, Shepard finished having a conversation with each of her crew and headed to the elevator. Adrenalin and endorphins sang through her system, making her skin feel too tight. She turned as she hit the button for her cabin, and her eyes met his. Unspoken understanding flashed between them as the doors slid shut.

Inside her cabin, Shepard dialed the temperature up until it was nearly blood heat. She shed her uniform and pulled on a soft pale robe. She felt sweat already slicking her skin as the temperature rose.

She heard the door open and shut behind her, though there was no sound of footsteps. She spoke without turning around.

"Edi, seal my cabin door and the elevator door to this level until further notice. Also disable all audio, video and motion sensitive monitors to this deck. I'll call you on my private terminal if I need you."

Edi appeared and spoke, "Are you certain, Shepard? I will not be able to respond to any but manual input."

"Do it, Edi."

"Understood, Shepard. Logging you out."

She turned and said simply, "I knew you would come."

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**A/N: This is my first fanfic, please be gentle. The second half is almost done, and should be ready tonight.**

**As always, all characters, etc are property of BioWare  
**


	2. Siha, I name you

Thane smiled slightly and inclined his head in her direction. "Siha, I would not disappoint you."

They stared at each other without moving for a long moment. She could see tightly controlled excitement in his eyes, and knew he could see the same in hers. The aftermath of surviving their insane battle was rising higher within her.

They moved forward at the same moment. Their bodies impacted with a dull thud that echoed through the cabin. Their lips met hard enough to clash their teeth together, mouths already open, tongues seeking and twining.

She slid her hands under his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders and down his arms. Her fingers had a white-knuckled grip on his firm biceps. Her hands worked on his pants, nearly clawing them off his hips. Her robe was much easier to discard.

Thane's hands slid down her back and past her hips until they reached her thighs. He pulled them against him, molding her body to his. She responded by lifting her legs to wrap around his hips.

They tumbled onto the soft bed, hands and lips everywhere. He pinned one of her arms above her head and swiped his tongue in a long, hot lick up her side, savoring the salty taste of her sweat. She fastened her teeth on his neck, lips moving over the sensitive red ridges there.

Her need became more urgent. She pulled him on top of her and encouraged him with her hands and lips and legs. He nudged her thighs with his knee and she willingly opened to him. He pressed against her, sending the heat in her veins a notch higher.

He paused and brought his hands up to cradle her face. She looked up at him with eyes hazy with passion and desire. His face was framed by the heavens above.

His dark eyes shone down on her as he whispered his words against her lips. "Siha, I named you, and siha you truly are. You are a bright light in this dark universe, a beacon that has lit up my heart."

She made no answer in words, instead answering by holding him closer to her. His eyes went darker and their lips met as he joined his body to hers.

They moved together, so close that she could not tell where he left off and she began. Every touch of his scales on her skin, every thrust of his hips, caused her to rise higher.

She felt herself reaching the height of her passion. Stars spun and expoded before her eyes. She felt like she was soaring through the heavens, alight with joy. The pulse of her blood was like wind and pressure against her ears. His warmth within her spiraled her up through the galaxy.

He heard her groan and shudder beneath him, saw her eyes glaze as her body tensed around him. He, too, was reaching his climax. To his modified eyes, she seemed to glow, her very skin emanating a light that rivaled the stars above them. _Siha!_ he thought, before thought became impossible.

When she came back to herself, Thane had settled on his side and she was cradled against his chest. They remained connected to simply enjoy the closeness. She felt relaxed and satiated in every pore. This was their reward, she knew, this perfect expanse of time. She tilted her head to whisper in his ear.

"I love you, Thane. Our lives are the greatest gift this universe can give us."

Shepard nestled closer, closed her eyes, and drifted on tides of light.

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**A/N: And this is the end of my very first fanfic. I hope it was enjoyable. A few notes about the story--**

**Yes, Shepard keeps a couple spare uniforms in the med bay. Who knows when you'll get your clothes cut off of you for one reason or another?**

**I deliberately left off any detailed physical descriptions or names for my Shepard, so that anyone's can fill in the blanks**

**Lastly, please enjoy, read, and review, so that I can improve!**


End file.
